I do love the homes from the Tidewater area of Virginia and North Carolina.
This photo was a “drive-by shooting”. I never did get around to tracking down it’s owner and seeing if I could peek inside.
I’ve heard the area in between the chimneys is for the oven… can any of you Tidewaterings confirm? or set me straight?
Firstly, thank you for reviving my dream of building an accurate colonial Virginia vernacular home for my retirement years. My dream was never that of a grand home, but rather a very small brick home with a Rumford fireplace, a few true, divided light cased windows, a stout door, a bit of land, and not much else. Again, thank you. As to the double set chimney in the above photo, the space between is most likely a closet. Though not common, one will find examples throughout Virginia and the Carolinas. In your example, I believe the window, which one often finds, is partially boarded (or shuttered) over. As to the “Why?”, I can think of two possibilities. 1) In those days, each room of a house was taxed. This may have been a circumvention of the law, as the closet is not technically within the four walls of the structure, or, 2) symmetry was paramount in colonial Virginia. A closet would disturb that symmetry visually, if built into the room as they are today. I trust this helps.
I remain, sir, your obedient servant, and native of the Sovereign State of Virginia,
Captain John Wagner
Hey John!
Thank you for the great post… and information!
It’s always good to hear from a fellow Virginian. 🙂
One would think after a few centuries that there would be many homes that would have been built more attractive than those of our colonial ancestors. And yet, I strain to find any.
Timeless design.
I look forward to seeing photos of your future home!
Noah